1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for correction of bias errors in a navigation system, and in particular to correction of bias errors in an inertial navigation system through the use of change in attitude measurements processed by a Kalman Filter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inertial navigation is based on systems first built using gyros and accelerometers located on a moving platform or gimbal, which required very complicated technical and power consuming constructions that were prone to failure. Later on, solid state solutions have been realized by using only discrete integrated electromechanical or electro-optical sensors attached directly to the vehicle or strapdown. These solid state systems have minimal moving parts, and consist of laser-gyros, mechanical accelerometers and/or integrated gyros and accelerometers manufactured using MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System) technology.
Inertial navigation systems (INS) are used in a wide variety of applications, including civil and military aviation, cruise missiles, submarines and space technology. According to these areas of operation, the entire system and all components have to be very precise and reliable. As a consequence, the costs for such a system are still relatively high and the size is not yet so small that it can be used for mobile roboting, wearable computing, automotive or consumer electronics.
But navigation systems designed for these mobile applications require a very small and inexpensive implementation of such an INS. Industrial demand for low-cost sensors (in car airbag systems, for example) and recent progress in MEMS integration technology have led to sophisticated sensor products, which are now both small (single chips) and inexpensive.
A body's actual spatial behavior/movement can be described with six parameters: three translatory (x-, y-, z-acceleration) and three rotatory components (x-, y-, z-angular velocity). To be able to define the movement of the body, three acceleration sensors and three gyros have to be put together on a platform in such a way that they form an orthogonal system either physically or mathematically. The distance translated and the angle the body has actually rotated can be obtained by integration of the individual translatory and rotatory components. Performing these calculations accurately and periodically enables the INS to trace its movement and to indicate its current position, velocity, pitch, roll, and heading.
The main limitation of the system performance is due to the finite precision or accuracy of the sensors. For example, a continuous small error in acceleration will be integrated and results in a significant error in measured or predicted velocity. The velocity is then integrated a second time and will result in a position error. Therefore very precise sensors and error correction mechanisms are necessary for an accurate inertial navigation platform.
A paper published by R. E. Kalman in 1960, “A New Approach to Linear Filtering and Prediction Problems”, Transactions of the ASME-Journal of Basic Engineering, 82(Series K): pages 35-45(1960) described a recursive solution to the discrete-data linear filtering problem. The Kalman filter is a set of mathematical equations to provide a computational solution of the least-square method.
In his book, “Stochastic Models, Estimation, and Control” vol. 1, Chapter 1, pages 1-16 (1979), Peter S. Maybeck discusses the Kalman filter as an optimal linear estimator.
Greg Welch et al. review use of the Kalman filter in the area of autonomous or assisted navigation in the paper, “An Introduction to the Kalman Filter”, UNC-Chapel Hill, TR 95-041, Mar. 11, 2002.